Over skinny models are banned in Madrid

Madrid fashion week (Pasarela Cibeles), one of Spain's most prestigious shows, is banning underweight models on the basis of their body mass index (BMI). The Spanish Association of Fashion Designers has decided to ban models who have a BMI of less than 18.

Health fanaticism of Pasarela Cibeles sparked a news story from the previous month, in which 22-year-old Luisel Ramos died of heart failure after walking at a fashion show in Uruguay. According to the Associated Press, she had been on a diet and hadn’t eaten for three days prior to the show.

The incident garnered negative media attention around the globe and threatened to target the fashion industry’s notorious zero tolerance policy on human body fat. Unhealthily skinny models inspired protests from doctors and women's rights groups. Recently accused of contributing to body dissatisfaction and the rise of eating disorders in Spain, Madrid fashion week has been converted into a platform for public health issues by the introduction of its BMI screening process. Madrid's local government says it wants to set a more positive, healthy image of beauty for teenagers to follow.

Leonor Perez Pita, one of the organizers of Pasarela Cibeles, acknowledges that “the restrictions could be quite a shock to the fashion world at the beginning, but I’m sure it’s important as far as health is concerned.” Perez Pita emphasized the show’s objective of promoting an image of beauty and health through their models, who, according to another unprecedented guideline, were prohibited from wearing any makeup that might give them a sickly or pale appearance.

Milan Mayor Letizia Moratti and British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell were both inspired by this happening and mentioned recommending similar measures for the Milan and London Fashion Weeks, respectively. However, London Fashion Week went by recently without implementing any such regulations. The British Fashion Council defended its stance on the issue by stating that it “does not comment or interfere in the aesthetic of any designer’s show.”

This event caused a stir from models, modeling agencies and designers as well. Unsurprisingly, most modeling agencies were critical of the attempt to filter out ultra-slim models. Cathy Gould, North American director of New York’s Elite modeling agency, claimed that the fashion industry was being victimized and used as a scapegoat for complicated illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia that may be genetic and often originate with problems in the home. By choosing to judge their health and beauty based on BMI, which alone cannot indicate bad health or the existence of eating disorders, she may have violated the sensitive issue of size neutrality. “I think it’s outrageous. I understand they want to set this tone of ‘healthy beautiful women,’ but what about the discrimination against the model and what about the freedom of the designer?” she asked, adding that the careers of naturally "gazelle-like" models could be damaged.

Didier Grumbach, president of the French Couture Federation and purported Bud Selig of fashion, stated: “It’s for the designer to decide what type of model he wants; that cannot be regulated.” Models might be viewed as a commodity, nothing more than a factory line of human clothes hangers, but they are actually inherent to establishing the look of a certain collection. Donatella Versace and Betsey Johnson are known to favor earthy Amazonienne types like Gisele Bündchen, while Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs prefer the childlike pixie features exemplified by the ethereal Gemma Ward.

Grumbach went on to say that “if Jean Paul Gaultier wants to take ‘fat’ people for his catwalk shows, we are not going to stop him. When Galliano puts on the catwalk people who are not ‘pretty-pretty,’ no one thinks to reproach him.” Every generation rewrites its own bible of aestheticism. The visions of designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Issey Miyake continue to deconstruct and redefine beauty on a seasonal basis, echoing the footsteps of Coco Chanel and Cristobal Balenciaga before them. While the sensuous curves of the Venus de Milo or the pinched waist of Marilyn Monroe might have once been embraced as the female physical ideal, Giacometti-esque women continue to dominate the 21st century. None of these bodies might actually be attainable to the masses, but as a senior editor at Marie Claire magazine once said, “designers sell dreams.” At least that means that tomorrow, we might just wake up to something new again.

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Comments about Over skinny models are banned in Madrid

Arthur Wells rated at 07/21/16 14:01

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Banning is no sollution. Variety and diferent
shapes should be the rule! Skinny, fat and
in-between models should be equally allowed in
catwalks! If there is just one "ideal" shape, it
is WRONG!!! The catwalks should mirror the
diferent shapes we see everyday! We see in the
reality people ranging from skinny to fat, and
that's the TRUTH! Fashion should cut out from
being an outdoor of LIES and HIPOCRISY. We can be
from SKINNY to FAT! FREEDOM OF CHOICE, PLEASE!!!
LET'S EMBRACE THE VARIETY! BANNING people is PURE
CRUELTY! BANNING MODELS IS CYNICAL PATERNALISM!!!

James rated at 11/16/10 11:451 of 1 people found the following comment was useful

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They banned the models for being underweight, not
for being skinny, and being underweight comes with
almost as many health risks as being obese. I love
the fact that alot of these people leaving
comments seem to think that banning underweight
models means that you have to use overweight ones.
There is a healthy middle ground between too
skinny and overweight and thats the group young
teens should be looking up to, not boderline
anorexics.

Em rated at 06/17/10 04:031 of 2 people found the following comment was useful

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I really think that using skinny models is better,
because everything seems way better on skinny
people than on others; in fact this is how they
should show the clothes and others

Barbara rated at 05/12/10 23:45

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i understand the whole over-skinny models is bad
for multiple reasons, but i also think that a lot
of the clothes look better on skinnier framed
people. it may sound bad, but if im looking at
male models lets say, i dont wanna see some guy
with a gut walking, im gonna wanna see someone who
is physically appearing to the eye. we should be
promoting healthy eating habits and lifestyles,
but a lot of the models ive seen them use dont
even look 'healthy' to me

david a morales rated at 05/11/10 14:34

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I have been told that I am good looking enough to
be in pictures I also went to back in the year of
1986,FACES INTERNATIONAL TALENT AGENCY. THEIR
Representative told me that my face would get me
through the door, but after that , it would be all
up to me, concerning the audition.

Rom rated at 06/14/09 20:432 of 3 people found the following comment was useful

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If women with BMI's under 18 are to be banned,
then women with BMI's over 25 should be banned. We
should only allow healthy body types to be
portrayed. People in the western hemisphere have,
by far, a bigger problem with being overweight
than they do with being to thin. Just 2% of
Americans are underweight, while 66% are
overweight. 31% are obese! We have these same
complainers in the States, who find it perfectly
acceptable to say being too thin is bad, but say
it is mean to say this about overweight people.
They are both bad and we should say this by our
choice of models.

Mc Doanld rated at 05/06/09 04:311 of 5 people found the following comment was useful

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you all like penis too much you all suck penis so
much that its not cool anymore. GO SUCK PENIS U
FKING PENIS SUCKING DICKHEADS

Sara rated at 01/09/09 11:001 of 4 people found the following comment was useful

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i think that this article was a long time in the
making. it's about time that someone stands up and
says, eww you look gross. the time has come for a
change in the modeling world. we need real people
with real bodies.

marlene rated at 09/30/07 16:270 of 2 people found the following comment was useful

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i think articles such as these that inform the
people of opinions as outrageous as Cathy Gould's
are quite interesting. they give you a panorama of
the different originds of the problem at stake

Geoff Cosnett rated at 05/27/07 20:301 of 3 people found the following comment was useful

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Dual standards are being applied. Governments in
Europe complain about overweight populations, UK
in particular. Then they sit back and agree that
thin models are a bad message for teens, although
its the teens that are overweight. Its good to
accept different model sizes, but lets be sensible
about what the message should be. Perhaps a show
of grossly overweight models would be an idea.
What would the politicians say to that?

Tadas Blinda rated at 12/20/06 07:540 of 2 people found the following comment was useful

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I totally agree to ban over skiny models. It's
nonsence if somebody things that they are nice.
We shouldn't be hurting young girls, who just
starting to realise what is nice. The most
important thing is health.

Joan Escoto rated at 11/01/06 09:1421 of 37 people found the following comment was useful

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It's not right to ban overskinny models... I think
it would be better if agencies give them time to
achieve their ideal weight. On the other hand, I
also think that it is good that the fashion scene
is beginning to accept women of different sizes.